TRAUMA CENTRE

US, 2019, 87 minutes, Colour.
Nicky Whelan, Bruce Willis, Tito Ortiz, Texas Battle, Catherine Davis, Steve Guttenberg.
Directed by Matt Eskandari.

In his later career, Bruce Willis turned out thriller after thriller. This is one of those – but he is not the lead character, rather playing the policeman as he often did, but this time looking his age.

In fact, the central character is a woman, Madison, who looks after her younger sister, played by Australian actress, Nicky Whelan. As the title indicates, the action takes place in a hospital. There is a setup where corrupt police commit murder, are investigated by Willis, kill a policeman near a rubbish skip outside the diner where Madison works. She is a witness, and is wounded in the leg, the bullet needed for evidence.

Previously, she has accompanied her younger sister, asthmatic, to the hospital. Now she is placed in security on the upper floor. As expected, the action consists of the corrupt police tracking her down, pursuing her, she using her wits to circumvent them, several confrontations. While Willis arrives, she has shown herself more than capable of defending herself as well has her sister.

Perhaps while audiences are watching but certainly in retrospect the action seems a bit far-fetched – with all compliments to Madison for being able to defend herself and evade the pursuers. But, this is an 87 minute action thriller which does what it set out to do.

1. The title? Most of the action taking place in the hospital? The atmosphere in the hospital, reception, the seventh floor, isolation, the different wards? Elevators? The morgue? The musical score?

2. The Puerto Rico settings, the city of San Juan? Vistas? Tropical atmosphere? The police? The hospital? Donors and cafes?

3. The opening, the blur, the body being dragged? The return to this sequence at the end with Madison?

4. Madison, her work, the diner, Emily, her age, moods, the death of their mother, blame and responsibility? Emily and her attack, the inhaler, collapse, in hospital? Wanting Madison to stay the night? In the ward, the criminals using her and taking her?

5. Madison, her sense of responsibility, memories of the decision about their mother, finance, life support? Her having to go to work? At the diner, putting out the rubbish?

6. The introduction to the corrupt police, the two men, the murder, not taking the money, taking the phone? The contact with their bosses, drug dealing? Corruption?

7. Bruce Willis as Wakes? A typical role? His age? The policeman, going to the rendezvous, his being murdered? Wakes, the suspects? The scene of the crime, the murdered man – and the body disappearing and the site cleaned up? The later attempt on Willis, his shooting the assailants?

8. Madison, the men, the policeman shot, her being wounded in the leg, hiding? Wakes coming to her help, the hospital, getting information? Her being secluded on the top floor? The police guard? The bullet in her leg, evidence?

9. The men coming, their personalities, one less intelligent, the other in command? Yet their inability to track down and kill the witness? The murder of the police guard? The pretence that they were police, access to the floor? Their taking the phone, the card, losing it and Madison finding it, playing it?

10. Madison, her fear, locking the door, testing out the police, their being tricked? The action, Madison in the corridors, locked in the room, the elevators, her dressing her wound, the tools, opening doors? Getting downstairs, the cleaner and his being frightened by her? Going to the morgue, concealing herself?

11. Wakes, the investigations, Madison’s phone call, getting the police, his going himself, tracking the corrupt police? Confrontation, shooting?

12. Emily, taken hostage, her fears, using the inhaler, escaping? The two in the corridor, the policeman, confrontation, Madison shooting?

13. The credibility of the plot? Its not mattering in terms of a brief thriller?